Mirror's Bane
by Ticket-to-Ride
Summary: Hawke and Fenris are at peace alongside their adopted daughter Valenya, but when an attack threatens the safety of their small family and signals the start of a war, the trio decide to take this matter into their own hands. M!Hawke/Fenris OC
1. Determination

Chapter 1 "Determination"

The war was too close for her liking.

Of course it was, no one wanted it, and it was simply idiotic that Papa had to be the one to begin it in the first place. She couldn't blame it for being started at all, not after Meredith went insane and brought all of Kirkwall to a standstill. It was wise for Papa and Father to leave for Ferelden after the events of their time in the maker-forsaken city, but of all the people she knew, Papa and Father needed a peaceful life more than anything. Of course, they told her many things, but for a fact she knew that both her fathers needed a rest after the bloodbath they witnessed.

Setting aside her greatsword, Valenya grabbed the white cloth, which she had brought out for practice, and wiped the sweat off of her brow. Typically, Valenya would have only bothered to practice if Father was around, for he was the one that trained her in the first place. But for her own needs of satisfying her paranoia, Valenya happily obliged to improving her skills on her own accord.

"Independent streak; Papa told me I had one." She muttered to herself, pleasantly surprised at finding truth to his normally sarcastic words. It wasn't uncommon for Papa to use his sarcasm, for she could see that Papa and Father both were also conflicted with the bloody war on their doorstep. But as for Father, he was always dead serious whenever he spoke. Not to say that he was cruel or bitter, for he was a very loving man despite his past scars, but he never truly did take anything that Papa said seriously whenever she was around.

Despite their differences, Valenya loved them both over everything.

Brushing off her cropped pant leg and grabbing her large sword once again, Valenya trotted back to the unassuming house that her little family lived in. It was only the three of them, however Valenya considered it to be a better family than most she had seen on her various travels around Ferelden. Even though it certainly may not be the most functional relationship in all of Thedas.

The house itself was situated on top of a steep hill not far from the small village of Lothering. It had a wonderful view, which Papa took great pride in owning despite the house's overall size, and a large acre of grassland, which belonged to them. The field was set-aside for use as both a practice range, which all three of them frequently used to keep up their skills in case of an attack, and a favorite reading spot which Father often spent whole afternoons in. The rest of the property consisted of another five acres that were devoted to raising crops, and of a small barn, which held two horses and a plow. Even though it did have its problems from time to time, Valenya would never wish to be any place else, and only the maker knew how long she would get to stay.

Stopping to catch her breath, she leaned against the house and looked over at the barn. _Feeding time! Shit, I'm late!_ She thought irritably to herself as she dashed back down the hill toward the small structure. Father was already down by where the horses were, pitching the hay into their individual stalls and mumbling while one of the horses reached out to try and lick the long pointed section of his ear. Valenya couldn't help but giggle at the sight; Frost had never succeeded in doing so, no matter how hard she tried.

Father glanced up in time to see her practically collapse onto the haystack, chuckling at her flustered appearance. Her dark braided hair was coming undone after the long practice and her freckled cheeks were glowing red. The brightness in her lyrium-blue eyes was dimmed by her drooping eyelids, and her usually upright frame was bent over with her hands on her hips. Despite being sixteen, Valenya never could jog down that hill without completely exhausting herself.

"My, my. Could this be Valenya? How kind of you to show up at this particular hour" Father teased, brushing aside a strand of unnaturally white hair that got in his eyes.

"I'm terribly sorry for being late Father. It won't happen again" Valenya assured him, picking up another pitchfork and getting to work with feeding her animals.

"It is no worry, mistakes happen and we learn from them," He replied simply," however if Hawke was here, then there would be a different matter."

"Thank the maker for that." Valenya sighed as she set down her pitchfork and opened the door to her horse's stall.

"Thank the maker for him allowing you to keep this one," Father said gesturing to Frost," If I hadn't turned around sooner…"

"Did she almost get you? Oh Frosty, I'm so proud of you!" Valenya mockingly encouraged, brushing her mane and making cooing noises at the young mare while being perfectly aware that Father had no attachment to the horse besides it being Valenya's main responsibility.

"Or me, for that matter." He growled under his breath while eyeing his daughter's overblown affections.

Soon, the sun began to slowly sink over the hills, and Father and Valenya padded back up the slope to contend with Papa for dinner. Sure, Papa wasn't known for being the best cook in Ferelden, but his meals were digestible. On more than one occasion however, a stew would catch fire or a roast would sit out too long and give Father food poisoning, and Valenya then had to make due with a ration of cheese or bread for the night. She too also cooked meals, but hers were known to be inexplicably terrible, and thus her aid in the kitchen was altogether banned.

Their steps fell into synch as the house drew nearer, and the sun had already set below the landscape. Opening the door to the home, Father quickly brushed off his feet (bare, as always) and stepped inside, feeling a rush of warmth coming from the hearth. Valenya followed afterwards, setting her greatsword against the wall and taking off her rough leather boots while Papa's footsteps could be heard from the upper level, shaking the floorboards and stomping loudly down the staircase.

"Afternoon, sweetheart!" he chimed in while pulling up a seat at the table." Where have you been all day? I barely get to see you enough as it is."

"Practicing Papa; the war is only going to get closer as of now" she responded with a contented sigh.

"Yes, I suppose that's the truest thing to say at the moment. You've been spending far too much time with Fenris to do you any good."

"And I would say the same for you, if that were the case" Father interjected, slightly irritated at Papa's remark.

"Fighting over me isn't going to get us anywhere, you two. You're both equally important, now stop being selfish!" Valenya added.

Papa only smiled at her." You're more like Fenris than you think, my girl."

"Oh, shut up!" Valenya scowled as Papa's grin turned into a full-scale laugh. Reluctantly, she had to agree. Father was just as paranoid and just as protective as she was, even though he was not her child by lineage. They told her many stories about how they found her when she was little, from being saved by dragons (when she was three years old) to being rescued from the hands of Templars (when she was four years old). Every year there had been a different story Papa told, and no matter how many times she wished for him to tell the truth, he would always say," maybe next year, Darling."

"You still have to tell me the real story of how I got here" Valenya grumbled, agitated by his constant avoidance of the subject.

"You know what I'm going to say Valenya. I'll tell you when the time is right; enough said."

"Papa, I'm sixteen years old and perfectly capable of handling the truth. Father won't tell me either, and I'm incredibly fed up about this stupid game you play!"

"Valenya Hawke, you will not speak to me in that tone," Papa said menacingly," I will decide when the time is right."

Valenya nodded, slightly crestfallen at his order, and sat down next to him, where he proceeded to reach over and grab several bowls from beside the roaring fire. Opening the lid to the pot, a wonderful aroma filled her senses as Papa carefully filled the bowls full of his famous rabbit stew. Eagerly snatching a spoon from the pile just beside where the bowls had once been, Valenya began eating her dinner right as it was placed in front of her.

"At ease, child! Maker, you must've practiced for hours!" Father snorted, walking over to the hearth and picking up his share of the meal.

"What can I say; I'm a growing girl after all" Valenya commented while slowing her rapid eating pace ever so slightly.

Father smiled, helping himself to the contents of his dish, while Papa playfully tugged her braid, causing a large splotch of brown stew to fall from her mouth and dribble down her tunic." Papa!" She squealed.

"What? I certainly didn't do anything, maker knows that sneaky elf over there could be the culprit!" Papa said slyly, exaggerating the harshness of his voice." We better keep a lookout for any suspicious pointy-eared men lurking around this house."

"Venhedis" Father muttered under his breath, only to receive a warning glance from Papa after using that kind of language. Valenya stood up and reached for her discarded white cloth, using it to wipe off the large stain and continue eating.

It took a little while for the conversation to get underway, but soon the trio found themselves submersed in a conversation about the tactical advantages of both being a rogue and a warrior, which was very unfair to Papa due to Valenya's extensive training with Father on two handed weapons. Father said that it was in her nature to study his variety of swordsmanship, for it best suited her strong-willed personality. But Papa, secretly of course, taught Valenya a few "tricks of the trade" that he learned when he was a boy, and Valenya in turn never told Father about her distinct method of fighting. That suited her just fine.

"I still think it would be a wise idea to learn several styles of combat instead of the one you have already mastered," Papa remarked," it would let you improve in other areas of your expertise."

"I disagree on you saying that I have "mastered" fighting with a greatsword, but I would like to at least wield some skill when faced with a knife. Perhaps that is a good idea." Valenya mused, playing with the hair slipping out of her braid.

"Yes, but I would prefer that you still attend your practices with me. It is completely acceptable that you want to branch into that particular area of swordsmanship, but if you do not wish to advance after a certain point, then you will at least have something to fall back on." Father added, abandoning his stew set before him in preference of continuing the conversation.

"I certainly will" Valenya finalized before standing up and setting her empty bowl aside.

"Told you she's like you." Papa muttered, suppressing a smirk.

"Hawke"

"Yes?"

"Shut up"

After a long night of conversing, the little family washed their dishes and set them neatly aside. Following her parents up the stairs, Valenya let out a ferocious yawn and nearly scared Papa out of his skin, causing Father to erupt into a bout of laughing before calming down enough to wish her good night. After combing her hair and putting on her nightgown, Valenya promptly went to sleep, looking forward to another busy day while her eyes slowly closed.

_What were those lights in the distance?_ She thought.


	2. Truth

Chapter 2

"Valenya! Sweetheart! Get up now!"

Reluctantly opening her eyes, Valenya looked around her room, focusing her eyes on the lanky figure of Father, whose expression was panicked and worried.

"Father? Wha-"

"No time to explain; you'll see soon enough!" Father shouted, dragging her from her bedside and throwing her armor on the bed in her place. "Put this on and meet us outside-armed-in ten minutes. Hurry!"

Obeying his orders and forcing herself out of her groggy state of mind, Valenya removed her nightdress and latched her armor on, making sure that if fit tightly and correctly before setting out. She bounded down the stairs and grabbed her weapon, gripping tightly onto the handle while she kicked the door open roughly. Running out to meet her parents, Valenya got a good taste of exactly what they pictured in her worst nightmares.

Everything was burning.

The trees, the grass, and the little town that they had worked so hard to save below the hill was lit on fire. Wild strands of flaming hair danced across the rooftops in a threatening display, leaving absolute destruction in their wake. The sky, now a violent shade of terrible red, was painted with thick clouds of ash as the smoke could be seen rising in waves of gray from the buildings she had known all her life. Her vision blurred, tears streamed down her cheeks and into her armor, and the whole world as she knew it seemed to slow. Then the sobs came, obscuring her vision further even though she never wanted to see the sight at all.

All at once a weight enveloped her, hugging her tightly to his body to try and comfort her shaking limbs and breaking heart. No matter how much she cried, or how tightly she was pressed, the overwhelming grief still poured out of her, as well as memories now confined to only her mind. Still weeping and wet, Valenya glanced upwards to see Papa's arms wrapped around her figure. But even as she stilled, a hand, which she did not notice until then, held tightly to her shoulder, scraping against her plating and holding her steady.

"It's all gone, the Templars left not long ago." Papa said, scanning his eyes over the landscape for any sign of relief.

"Were they after you? Both of you?" Valenya sniffed, wiping her eyes and releasing his hold.

Papa, unsure of how to answer her question, turned to Father for any signal or direction he could sense. Seeing his stare, Father sighed and held Valenya's hand." Tell her everything, Hawke. Don't hide it anymore."

Gazing back at his loyal daughter, Papa did.

* * *

><p><em> Denerim was a disaster area, and that was an understatement. Dead bodies lay in the streets, causing the living to wade through a sea of death to escape the crazed Templars. The only sounds that filled the air were the sounds of swords clashing and innocent people screaming.<em>

_ Hawke and Fenris had no choice but to keep running. Glancing back behind his shoulder, Hawke caught sight of another Templar barreling after them, helmet badly beaten and armor dented and dirty. "YOU WILL PAY FOR EVERYTHING!" the man screamed, throwing off his helmet and charging even faster towards the battle-weary duo. With one graceful motion, however, Hawke flung a dagger over his shoulder and the weapon grounded itself into the Templar's head._

_ "We need to keep going, Hawke. Lothering is still another day." Fenris shouted, urging Hawke to follow him out of the city. _

_ "What about the King? The Queen? How will we know whether they are safe?" Hawke panted, racing back to Fenris's side as he finished the sentence._

_ "From what I saw, they were headed directly for the Amaranthine Ocean, along with about 1,000 soldiers," Fenris breathed," They will be safe in the hands of their guards."_

_ Hawke paused, plotting out the rest of their escape." Very well then."_

_ They took off again, bounding down the worn road and never slowing their pace. With that many Templars still searching for the Champion after the Chantry's initial collapse, nowhere in the city would it be safe for anyone, let alone the two most wanted men in Thedas. The maze of streets continued on, ever winding through the battle-torn town that now lay deserted of all citizens. The only people they could find were dead corpses, and Hawke dare not try to loot them while running for their lives. Line after line of houses stood, ominously silent in the chaos around them, while the faces of dead men and Templars leered up at them with cold, glazed eyes and frozen mouths. This was far worse than Kirkwall._

_ Hawke couldn't understand why they would bother to attack this city when it was him that they were after. Did the King and Queen have anything to do with his presence in Denerim? All he knew was that they had received a letter from Aveline and Donnic telling them to meet at the Pearl that night, however these plans were probably abandoned as of late. Was it too late to try and search for them?_

_ Then suddenly, Fenris froze, looking around him with wary eyes. Hawke stopped too, breathing heavily while listening for any signs of intruders. A rough shuffling sounded from behind them and Fenris jumped at the sound, hands shaking his sword. In response to the quiet noise, Hawke slowly turned around, weapon ready, and didn't see anything._

_ "Show yourself!" Fenris demanded, his face frozen in open hostility. They both braced themselves further as the shuffling sounds continued to erupt, suddenly fading from their hearing._

_ "Is est quis?"_

_ Hawke yelped in surprise and looked over to find a badly injured woman crumpled on the ground, holding a small bundle of fabric tightly in her arms while her legs were completely buried. He could tell that her strength was failing quickly, and the two rushed to her side and brushed away the large pile of dirt covering her legs. But as they gently remove the ash and dust, she only looked at Fenris, who stared back with a very serious demeanor about him. Why had this woman spoken so strangely?_

_ "Save nate, quis." She whispered, handing Fenris the tiny bundle and crying silently. "Sit vivamus; sit a vitae casus habemus."_

_ "Salva nos custodi illam, domina. Requiem in pace." He responded, slowly and sincerely, taking the baby from her weak hands while she smiled peacefully back._

_ " Debeo vobis Omnia." She replied, leaning back against the wall in exhaustion. "Semper ero vobiscum meum puella; Ego semper amabo te, filia."_

_ With those last words, she closed her eyes and stopped moving, ending her life for the chance at her child's future._

_ Fenris looked down at the infant, barely able to breathe, while the tiny child slept soundly in his arms. Though he could not describe it, a wave of intense feeling came over him, washing aside his fear as if it were a distant memory. This little baby, whom he barely knew, had already lost its mother. He had to keep it safe; no child's life should ever be spent on war._

_ "Fenris?" Hawke asked carefully," Was that woman speaking in Arcanum?"_

_ He glanced at Hawke." Yes" he said simply, unsure of how else to respond._

_ "Well, what did she say? Is it a boy? A girl? Does it have a name?"_

_ "As of now, she is nameless. What she was called before she will never be called again."_

_ It was true, that woman had spoken his mother tongue in perfect grammar, but shouldn't that have troubled him? This child could likely be a scion of a magister, yet he did not feel resentment toward it. Why did he want to protect this child? Why had these feelings come over him because of her arrival?_

_ He should have killed the babe and the mother when he had the chance. He should have never seen them lying here on this lonely road. He should have never heard that cursed language be uttered from his own lips ever again. But that was before; this was an entirely different matter. Should he leave the child to die alone? Should he kill her now or leave her with the insane Templars? Couldn't he just run away from this place, be free of the burden of having this tiny life at his side?_

_ No, for if he were, not only would he break his own pride, he would break his own heart._

_ Fenris's intense pondering was interrupted by the noise of Hawke's shuffling feet as he moved closer to the baby. Hawke glanced at Fenris, trying to read the expression on his face while also trying to study the face of the tiny infant that he held. Ever since he first laid eyes on the child, he knew that he would protect it from this day forth, however at first he could not discern the expression that Fenris was showing. He could only decipher it when the baby first opened her brilliant blue eyes, and that was when the whole future fell right into place._

_ "You love her, Fenris."_

_ "What?" he responded, green eyes wide with shock._

_ "You do; it's all over your face."_

_ He looked at the baby again and sighed," Only you would have known that."_

_ "At the very least, say it to me" Hawke encouraged._

_ "Say what, exactly" Fenris replied in a monotone voice._

_ "You know, I love you!" Hawke exasperated "Fathers say things like that to their daughters!"_

_ His green eyes widened even farther" You're suggesting that I'm a father? Don't you think this is a little soon?"_

_ "Say it Fenris."_

_ "But"_

_ "NOW. Don't lie to yourself."_

_ Fenris glanced at Hawke, then down at the child, and exhaled," Amo te."_

_ Even though the child could only have been a few months old, she seemed to understand his words perfectly. Even as they continued to run, the last two sentences of the mother's final words still rang in his head. But even as they raced through the deserted town, barreled down the road, and off to Lothering, he realized that those few phrases could never be more true._

"_I will always be with you, my girl. I will always love thee, O daughter."_

* * *

><p>I decided to substitute Latin for Arcanum, so as you can guess, what Fenris says to baby Val is the translation of what her mom says to her before she dies.<p>

I LOVE reviews! Any advice would help!

TtR,


	3. Flight

Chapter 3

Valenya couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I had…a mother? And a father too? Another name? Another life?" She whispered, fighting back another wave of tears.

"I'm sorry I held the truth from you for so long, Sweetheart. I thought that it would be wise to wait, though now I cannot see my own reasoning" Hawke replied guiltily, head hanging in remorse.

Valenya looked up, eyes stinging and blurry, and gazed into Fenris's returning green stare." You, you said that about me?"

At first, he remained still, warring over his emotions and unsure of what to do. There were so many things he could have told her in that one moment that could carry no meaning at all, but what would that give her? She deserved something meaningful, something that she would remember besides a stupid remark. It was the least he could give her, and it would mean more to her than anything else.

All at once Valenya felt a body collide with her, wrapping its arms around her neck, letting her rest her head on its shoulder. All that she could process was the warmth that it gave off, the tightness of its grasp and the overwhelming sense of comfort it brought. Yet she couldn't understand what was happening in that second. Would he be so bold as to show so much care? To show so much…

Father was hugging her, lovingly and willingly.

"I meant every word." He said slowly, never wanting her to forget that common phrase that her mother had told to her those many years ago.

"I believe you" Valenya responded, letting her tears fall and roll down the sides of his armor.

Hawke would have given anything to be able to watch this moment longer, but time was never on his side and the fires were approaching the house quickly. Running back to the house, Hawke opened the door and bolted into the house. The other two followed, grabbing food and supplies to take with them and shoving the items into various travelling packs for their escape.

"Take only what you need, we must travel light if we are to stay ahead of the Templars." Fenris called, swinging a knapsack over his shoulder and exiting the hovel.

Valenya soon followed, holding a bedroll and a small bag of personal items, which she didn't want to lose to the flames. Barreling down the hill, the father and daughter managed to make it to the small barn, where Frost and her two stable mates, Bianca and Sparrow, were neighing and stomping loudly in their stalls. Hitching the horses faster than she had ever done before in her life, Valenya strapped down the bedroll and bag, and quickly assisted her father with the other two. Hawke soon caught up with them and finished tacking his large mare while keeping a close eye on the fire as it worked its way up the other side of the hill.

"Whatever you do, stay together!" Hawke called," I can't afford to lose either of you in this mess, let alone have to try and find you."

"All of the horses are fast, Papa. We will have an advantage over them if we leave now." Valenya responded, steadying her steed and looking out for any signs of clanking metal or battle cries.

Fenris rode Sparrow in a wide circle, trying to calm him." Where will we go? Ferelden is no place for us anymore."

Hawke didn't respond, for he in fact wasn't sure where to go. Valenya however saw that there was only one option." We ride to Kirkwall. Aunt Aveline will greet us there, will she not?"

A very worried Fenris glanced in Hawke's direction." If we do, then we will not know what we will find. Thedas is preparing for war, and Kirkwall is bound to be the center of attention."

Hawke knew the risks all too well. After fleeing Templars with his father, his partner, and his daughter, Hawke was far too familiar with the consequences of a wrong move. But despite the overwhelming list of precautions and details that couldn't afford to be overlooked, she did have a point to what she said. Since Aveline was the captain of the guard, she had a major standing on the present court of Kirkwall, and with that standing also came protection and cover in case of an attack.

"What do you say, Papa?" Valenya asked.

Sighing, Hawke answered," To Kirkwall it is."

Fenris gave one last look to the burning remains of his once-peaceful life and turned his stallion around, following his family out of the flames and into the battleground.

* * *

><p>Sorry for this chapter being so short, but i couldn't think of anything to put down other than that. I'm sure you all understand. I will be editing this chapter in perticular over the next few weeks.<p>

TtR,


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